Military Road Safety Improvements
Location
Military Road at Nelly Custis Drive, Marcey Road and Gulf Branch trail/36th Road North, Arlington, VA 22207 View Map
38.90424438305782, -77.10816031757773
Military Road at Nelly Custis Drive, Marcey Road and Gulf Branch trail/36th Road North ,
Arlington, VA 22207
Military Road at Nelly Custis Drive, Marcey Road and Gulf Branch trail/36th Road North ,
Arlington, VA 22207
StatusIn Design
Temporary roundabout pilot project at Military Road and Nelly Custis Drive
Pilot Project Info
In October 2021, the project team installed a temporary roundabout as part of a pilot safety project. This facility, constructed with quick curb, pavement markings and bollards, is intended to improve intersection safety, increase vehicle yield rates at cross walks and to gather data to inform future decisions for this project.
To use the temporary roundabout, watch this YouTube video. The first half of the video explains how to enter and exit a one-lane roundabout, which is what was installed.
The key takeaways for traveling through a roundabout are:
- Always yield to pedestrians and cyclists at the crosswalks
- When entering the roundabout, yield to vehicles and cyclists inside the roundabout
- Use your signal when exiting the roundabout
This pilot project, in conjunction with the Vision Zero transportation safety program, will test the effectiveness of a roundabout for improving pedestrian safety and reducing vehicle speeding at the intersection. It will be in place for one year to allow data collection of real-world conditions, and since it’s temporary, it can be adjusted as needed or removed easily if it doesn’t work. This data will inform the design concept for the intersection that will be implemented as the last phase of the Military Road Safety Improvements project. Refer to Vision Zero pilot projects for more information.
Status/Timeline:
- Pilot installed October 2021
- Monitor pilot over 1 year with multiple data collection points
- Next major data collection: Spring 2022
- Gather community feedback on the pilot during the 1-year period
- Public engagement opportunity conducted in May-June 2022
Comments? Questions? Please reach out to the project team
Email the project team
About the Project
The Military Road Safety Improvements Project will implement safety improvements at three intersections on Military Road: at Nelly Custis Drive, at Marcey Road, and at 36th Road North. These intersections were identified in a 2004 Arterial Transportation Management Study that suggested several recommendations to improve safety for all modes of transportation in the Military Road corridor.
Military Road and Nelly Custis Drive intersection
Safety improvements will focus on:
- Driver yield rates
- Shortening crossing distances for people walking through the intersection
- Providing predictable turning movements
- Reducing vehicle speeding
This intersection is identified in the Vision Zero action plan as a location where improvements can be made to facilitate and increase safety for pedestrian and bicycle movements. Two applications are being considered to improve safety at this intersection: installation of a roundabout or signalization of the intersection.
In accordance with Vision Zero principles, a pilot project will be installed to quickly and inexpensively implement the roundabout option in order to test its performance and effectiveness and compare this to the signalization concept. Observations and data collected from the pilot installation will assist in selecting the preferred solution that will be implemented as part of this project.
Military Road and Marcey Road intersection
Safety improvements included upgrading all handicap ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and installing a curb extension on the southeast corner to improve a bus stop. This work was completed in December 2020.
Military Road and Marcey Road intersection design
Military Road and 36th Road North intersection
Safety improvements included eliminating the mid-block crosswalk and building a median pedestrian refuge with a high visibility crosswalk and ADA-compliant ramps. The sidewalk and bench at the bus stop also were improved. This work was completed in December 2020.
Military Road and 36th Road North intersection design
Military Road vehicle volumes
- 2019 - 11,000 (Vehicles per day)
- 2018 - 11,000 (Vehicles per day)
- 2017 - 11,000 (Vehicles per day)
- 2016 - 11,000 (Vehicles per day)
Military Road current posted speed limit: 30 MPH
Information about roundabouts
Public Process
Spring 2022
In May 2022, County transportation staff hosted a community open house to share more about the Military Road Safety Improvements Project, gather feedback on the pilot roundabout project being tested at the intersection of Nelly Custis Drive and Military Road, and review the options for a preferred alternative for construction at the intersection.
An online feedback form was made available to collect feedback from the community on their experiences with the pilot safety project. This feedback is being reviewed and will be used alongside operational data, crash data and site considerations to determine the next steps for the capital project at this intersection.
Engagement Resources
Spring 2021
A virtual community meeting was held on June 10, 2021 using Microsoft TEAMS Live. Attendees heard about completed construction along Military Road at Marcey Road and 36th Street North, and learned about the feedback received and studies performed for pilot safety treatments to the intersection of Military Road and Nelly Custis Drive. Staff gave a short presentation on the project, which was followed by a question and answer session.
Fall 2017
A community meeting was held on Sept. 27, 2017, at Taylor Elementary School, with participation from members of seven surrounding civic associations.
Following the public meeting in September 2017, the community was asked for feedback on design concepts for the three intersections. The comment period was open from October through November 2017:
- The majority of responses supported changes at all three intersections to increase safety for all modes – view a summary of the feedback
- Some respondents provided comments in addition to answering the feedback questions; the comments included support for and opposition to the design alternatives.
Funding
Project cost will be shared between Arlington County and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
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